Chapter 1
Wind whistled around the bare yard, the grass a rather unappealing shade of green. The air was cool, the chill of fall beginning to settle in.
Harry pulled up into the deserted gravel driveway and fingered the antique key around in his palm. Just a glance around the house, and then he could leave. He opened his car door and stepped out, instinctively wrapping his arms around his body. He should've worn a coat, but it was too late now.
He slammed the car door and squeezed the lock button on his keys, the car beeping shut with a click. He walked down the little pathway of stepping stones, leading to the porch. He trudged up the steps and paused when he was at the door. Just one look he reminded himself. He inhaled a deep breath and inserted the key into the lock. It opened with a click and he pushed on the door.
He peered inside cautiously, eventually deciding it was safe to enter. Harry crossed the threshold into the old house, examining his surroundings carefully. This was the building his great grandma left for him to inherit and he honestly didn't know if he wanted it. He didn't even know the woman existed really. But who was he to turn down the offer of a free house?
The house was already furnished, quite beautifully in fact, seeing as nothing had been moved since the departure of the previous owner. Everything seemed fairly new and it was definitely an upgrade from Harry's current flat.
He walked through all the rooms, never noticing anything out of the ordinary, until he came to the very last room in the dim corridor. The door looked the same as all the others and Harry tugged the doorknob sideways waiting expectantly for a 'click' and creaking of hinges. But instead he was met with the sound of metal nudging metal, and the door didn't budge. It was locked.
His brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance. He had only been given one key but that was for the front door. He huffed out an aggravated breath and exited the hallway into the kitchen. Harry wasn't the type of person who let things go unsolved. He was always looking for challenges and he had just been presented with one. At least his decision was simple now. He was staying in that house until he opened that door.
